Baby Steps
by odestaonly
Summary: Finnick and Annie eagerly await for their baby's first steps. -One Shot-


Baby Steps

"Finnick." I say happily as our daughter stands up on the sandy beach.

She has been getting so close to walking. Every new day I think she will but she loses her balance and falls. I'm so excited for this to happen.

"Come on baby you can do it. You can walk to Daddy." Finnick says holding out his arms, ready to catch her if she falls.

When our son started walking he almost fell on a coffee table. Finnick caught him before he could bang his head.

She looks around wobbles and falls.

I expect her to cry but she doesn't.

"First steps on the beach she is truly from District 4."

I roll my eyes

"She just stood up." I say. "Good try sweetie." I say and Finnick picks her up.

"She's getting really close. We should make sure the house is correctly baby proofed." I say.

"Annie you've checked the house three times before she could even crawl. Besides some of it is still baby proofed for Nick.

Our son is back home with my Mother. We wanted to take Amelia to the beach for the first time without our hyperactive three year old.

She's been outside and gone on walks on the beach but we were always carrying her. This is the first time she will get to touch the sand and put her feet in the water.

"She's gonna look just like Mama." Finnick says and kisses her cheek.

She has his green eyes but her baby fluff is a dark brown. Our son looks just like Finnick.

"She'll be beautiful no matter what." I say.

"Let's go to the water baby girl." Finnick says.

He treats her like a princess. I can't wait until she starts dating. He will be so overprotective.

"Be careful with her Finnick." I say.

"I know." Finnick says with a smile.

He sits far away from the waves just close enough so the sand will get wet and touch her feet.

I sit next to them and smile at Amelia.

"Big girl." I say.

"Is she going to cry?" Finnick asks when the first wave hits her small feet.

"I don't think so. She looks confused more than anything." I say.

When we took Nick to the beach for the first time he started screaming when the water hit his feet. He loves swimming now but not as a baby. Finnick and I think the water was too cold.

Her small fists picks up some sand and throws it at Finnick.

"We don't do that Ames." Finnick says.

"She's just curious, isn't that right baby girl." I say and tickle her stomach.

She giggles and looks at me.

"She's so big." I say and smile.

Finnick gives me a knowing look.

"Remember what you said Annie." Finnick says reminding me my words after I gave birth. 'I'm never doing it again remind me if I say otherwise.'"

"I said that with Nick too." I say.

"Yeah but you changed your mind because you wanted a girl. When we found out you were having one you kept telling me over and over that you never want to get pregnant again." He kisses my cheek "This time you meant it." He says concerned.

I never wanted children before because of the games and now I can't decide if I want another.

It's only been a few years since the war but my life is so different now. I have a loving husband and beautiful children. Even though I have a wonderful life now the scars are still there. They probably will never go away.

For Finnick that is literal. He's got scars all over his body now because of a mission he went on. I never got all the details just that he was attacked by mutts. They thought Finnick was dead. They told me he was dead. I felt hopeless living in a better world without him. A world he helped create and it didn't seem fair. I cried for weeks living my life in a haze not really caring about a thing. One day I just collapsed they thought it was from exhaustion because I wasn't sleeping and barely eating but it was because I was pregnant.

When they told me I cried. I still can't figure out if it was out of happiness or fear. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it without Finnick. People said it was a good thing and that Finnick would get to live on. I was angry because my baby -our baby- wouldn't be able to replace Finnick. I would love them but they wouldn't be able to fill the hole in my heart that Finnick left. I was also mad/sad because Finnick would never know he was a Father.

I look at Finnick holding our daughter, making her laugh.

There was a body in a hospital in 13 that was all messed up making it hard to identify the person. It was Finnick. When they figured it out I was already settling into my new life in District 4. I didn't want to go back to 13. However they were adamant it was Finnick. They said the person said they were Finnick Odair and kept asking for Annie. Repeating my name over and over again. The hospital attendant sounded annoyed.

They wouldn't send out a hovercraft so I had to take a train. I could never sleep on those trains not even when Finnick was sleeping next to me. The train was different than the one I took to mentor for the games. It was more simple but I still couldn't sleep. It took three days to get to 13. Those were the longest three days of my life. I kept telling myself it wasn't going to be him. It was impossible for it to be him. I didn't want to crash all over again, especially since I was pregnant.

When I go there they took me to his room.

My god. I will never forget how broken and marred his body was. The room smelled like burnt flesh and something else that was horrible. Not even all the disinfectant could hide the smell.

He was either passed out from drugs or asleep when I came. I think he was passed out because when he woke up the first thing he said was my name. I knew he couldn't see me from where I was sitting. I also knew it was him from the voice.

We stayed in 13 for a long time. I gave birth to our son there.

When we came back we married or renewed our vows on the beach. They tried to make it as close to a traditional District 4 wedding as possible in 13 but with it not on the beach it never really felt official. Besides, the people who I still loved and were alive got to be there. My brother, my Mother, my best friend were all still alive. Our son got to be there as well.

Finnick Odair wasn't the perfect pretty boy anymore. His body was donned with scars all over his body. His perfect face died just like his fake persona. He's still the most attractive person to me. I love Finnick and not because of his good looks, I love him for who he is.

"I know but she is just so cute." I say.

I pick her up when the new waves comes in. I doubt it would take her away. We are just sitting when the water can touch her feet.

"Once she turns two you will forget about having another. Or when she is crying and Nick is being needy."

"Needy." I say and laugh.

"He can be an attention seeker." He says

"Gee wonder where he got that from. " I say.

"I'm not an attention seeker." Finnick says with a smile.

"Whatever you say." I say with a smile.

"Mama." Amelia says and points to the ocean.

"You want to go swimming Amelia." Finnick says and she nods.

"District 4 blood. She's going to love it."

"Finnick, she could be nodding at anything."

"I can think what I want." He says.

"Yes you can." I say and let the waves hit her feet.

"She isn't afraid of the water." I say.

"She's going to be a great swimmer and I bet she will like the boat too. We can go sailing and catch fish. Does that sound good Amelia?" Finnick says in his baby talk voice.

"Ga!" She says and waves at Finnick.

"I think that means yes." He says.

I roll my eyes.

"Don't plan out her whole life. You might like something else right Ames?" I say.

She nods.

"That means yes." I say.

"She could be nodding at anything." Finnick mimics my voice.

I roll my eyes

"Look at the bird." I say to her and point to a seagull off in the distance.

She copies me and stands up.

"Walk to Dada." Finnick says.

"Walk to Daddy." I encourage.

"Come here Amelia." Finnick says holding out his arms.

"You can do it baby." I say.

"Ga." She says and points to the ocean again.

She hasn't stood this long before.

"Walk to Daddy." I say.

"Dada." She says and points at Finnick.

"That's right come to Daddy." He says.

It looks like she is about to fall.

Finnick catches her I think she would've face planted.

"Nice try." Finnick says and kisses her forehead.

She giggles.

"I think the ocean is distracting her." I say. She is pointing at it again.

"She just likes it." He says.

"Mama, Dada." She says and points at the ocean.

"That's the ocean baby." I say.

"That's where the fishies live." Finnick says.

"Dada." She says and points again.

"We should get a little closer. I think she wants to." He says.

"Finnick." I say worried. I know he would never do anything that will hurt our daughter but I get worried. He might be right though, when she points at something she usually wants it.

She's too young to go in the water. Well I think she is too young.

"I'll hold onto her and it is low tide." He says.

"We aren't going all the way in." I say.

"I know she's too little for that." Finnick says and kisses her cheek. She giggles and smiles at Finnick.

We barely move but her legs will get wet. She is splashing her hands in the water.

"She likes the water." I say this time.

She touches the sand and leaves little hand prints.

She points at it.

"That's from your hand baby." I say.

She says something incoherent and slams her small fists into the water.

She does this for awhile and keeps pointing at the water.

"Maybe she can see something we can't." I say.

She mumbles something again.

"Does she look cold to you?" Finnick asks after a few minutes.

"Maybe." I say and look at her. The wind has picked up and she isn't smiling anymore.

"We should go home." Finnick says and I nod.

"She needs a nap soon too." I say.

"I'm going to get her a towel." He says and stands up.

"Are you going to follow Daddy?" I ask because she stands up too.

"Do you want to come with me Ames?" Finnick says and kneels.

"Dada." She says points at him.

"That's me come here. We can walk up the beach together." He says.

It's like it happens in slow motion when I see that first little step.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Finnick. Finnick. Finnick she's walking! She's walking!" I say even though she is walking towards him.

"Come here sweetie all the way to Daddy." Finnick says holding out his arms.

It's probably ten steps for her little feet.

"Almost." I say.

Finnick picks her up when she starts to get wobbly. She almost made it all the way.

"You did it." Finnick says and kisses her cheek.

"You wanted to follow Daddy." I say and walk towards them.

"She's going to be a Daddy's girl." He says and kisses her cheek.

She giggles.

"Good job Amelia." I say and kiss her cheek. "You're a big girl." I say and smile.

"Are you crying Annie?" Finnick asks.

"No." I say. I did when Nick started walking.

"Mama is so proud of you that she is crying." Finnick says.

"Don't listen to Daddy." I say.

I get to the beach bag and pull out her towel.

Finnick hands me her and I dry her off.

"You're Mama's big girl." I say.

"Mama." She says and leans against my chest.

I think she is asleep when we get to the house but she looks up surprising me.

"Wave bye bye to the ocean Amelia." Finnick says.

She points to it.

"That's right bye bye." Finnick says.

"Here." I say and give her to Finnick when I take the hose to clean sand off my body.

Finnick kisses my cheek and goes inside.

"Mommy." Nick says when I walk inside.

I pick him up.

"Were you good for Nana?" I ask.

"Yes." He says.

I look at my Mom and she nods.

"Your sister walked today." I say.

"Really?! Then I can play with her now." He says.

"Not yet buddy." Finnick says.

Nick's idea of playing with his sister is running around outside on the beach searching for sand crabs. I think he is disappointed that he can't do anything with his baby sister.

He called her boring more than once. I think he thought he would be able to play with her as soon as we brought her home.

"I'm gonna give her a bath, she's sandy." Finnick says and I nod.

We used the hose outside to clean off. We would've done her but the water is ice cold and knew she would've started crying.

"She'll probably sleep after." I say.

Finnick nods and kisses my cheek. He takes her upstairs.

"Mommy can I go on the beach with just you and Daddy?" He asks.

"Yes you can, just not today." I say.

He isn't as jealous as he was when she first came home. It is healthy to do things just with him though.

"Okay." He says and smiles widely.

I asked him what he did when we were gone. He said they played pirate and colored.

"Can I see the picture?" I ask.

He nods and runs to get them.

"Was he good?" I ask.

"Your son is always good. Although he can be a very bossy captain." She says.

"Yeah but the first mate can give orders too." I say. That's what happens when Finnick or I play pirate with him anyway.

"Next time I will remember that."

"Finnick is better at playing pirate than myself." I say.

She nods.

"Did you get him to eat anything?" I ask.

"He ate the apples but would only drink juice."

We said she should try and get him to drink milk. We put him in timeout until he finishes the glass. I didn't want my Mom to do that so we said juice would be fine.

"I'll get him to drink the milk later." I say.

"So your baby girl is starting to walk." She says.

"Yeah not steady but she made it to Finnick. It almost makes me want to have another."

"There are plenty more first for both of your children Annie."

"I know but it's so precious."

My Mom smiles.

"Mommy." Nick says running into the room holding colorful papers.

Finnick walks downstairs holding the baby monitor.

"Whatcha got there bud?" Finnick asks.

"I drew pictures for you and Mommy." He says and smiles.

"Let's see then." Finnick says.

"That's you, Mommy, and sissy on the beach." He says to Finnick.

"This is a pirate ship." He says.

"Looks scary." Finnick says

"Good." Nick says and smiles.

"This is me and Nana." He looks at my Mom who smiles.

"Very good Nick." She says.

"This is all of us." He says.

It has a picture with all of his family including my Mother. His drawing of Amelia is a small circle.

"This one goes on the fridge next to the others." I say.

"Thank you Mommy." He says.

I kiss him.

"I love you."

"I love you too Mommy." He says and smiles. "And Daddy." He adds.

"We're going to hang this right now." Finnick says.

After my Mother leaves we put Nick down for a nap.

"What?" He asks when he sits on the sofa and snuggle next to him.

"I'm happy." I say.

He kisses the top of my head.

"Me too." He whispers. "When we have days like this sometimes I can't believe how bad it was before. We never could've had this life before Annie. Something so simple as taking our baby girl to the beach..." He sighs deeply.

"We don't have to worry about that anymore. We can take our baby girl and son whenever we want and they aren't in danger. We have everything we need." I say and kiss him.

"I'll always have everything as long as you are around."

"Good because it will be hard to get rid of me, Ames, and Nick." I say and kiss him.

"Good." He says with a smile and kisses me.


End file.
